Left-hander Cristopher Sanchez and Phillies agree to $22.5 million, 4-year deal for 2025-28 as they sign another ace
PHILADELPHIA — Left-hander Cristopher Sánchez and the Philadelphia Phillies agreed Saturday to a $22.5 million, four-year contract covering 2025-28.
Sánchez gets a $2 million signing bonus and salaries of $1.5 million in 2025, $3 million in 2026, $6 million in 2027 and $9 million in 2028. Philadelphia has a $14 million option for 2029 with a $1 million buyout and a $15 million option for 2030 with a $1 million buyout.
The options can escalate to $16 million for 2029 and $19 million for 2030 based on top 10 finishes in Cy Young Award voting,
Sánchez, 27, was signed to a one-year contract for 2024 calling for the $753,500while in the major leagues and $280,432 while in the minors.
“I’m so happy to be here,” Sanchez said through a translator. “I feel so great about this contract and what the future is going to be about.”
He would have been eligible for arbitration after the 2025 season. The options potentially cover what would be his first two seasons after free-agent eligibility.
“We are always open to good players in your organization and keeping them, but philosophically we’re not normally into negotiating during the season because it could be a distraction to the player,” Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said. “But when we talked about it, we were open-minded to it, but it would have to happen quick. … It was really fast – it was probably a week of talking with the London trip in the middle.”
The Philadelphia Phillies’ starting pitching staff has been a strength for the club all season. In the offseason they re-signed Aaron Nola and, this past spring, inked Zack Wheeler to an extension to help keep the top of the rotation in red pinstripes for the foreseeable future.
On Saturday the Phillies announced that they extended Cristopher Sánchez to a four-year deal that includes some options to keep him through his arbitration years. With that news, the club has three of their best starters locked up to multi-year deals.
Ranger Suárez still has one more arbitration year left before he is eligible to test the free agent market. Given the season the left-hander has had, it would be wise for the Phillies to lock him up before he becomes a hot commodity as a free agent.
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Suárez has been one of the top starters in all of Major League Baseball in 2024. Through his first 15 games this season, the 28-year-old has a 1.75 ERA and a 0.89 WHIP with 95 strikeouts through 92 1/3 innings pitched.
The front office has discussed their desire to get their other left-handed starter under contract to solidify the rotation for years to come. Earlier this month Dave Dombrowski noted that he would be thrilled to sign Suárez to an extension. Destiny Lugardo of Phillies Nation quoted the Phillies’ president of baseball operations as saying.
